Wire skinning machine



Feb 5, 1946. 0.1-1. HESSLER WIRE SKINNING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1943INVENTOR. I H. HESSL. E R

i FIG.3.

25' OLIVER Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATE.

WIRE SKINNING MACHINE Oliver H. Hessler, Normandy, Mo., assignor toCarter Carburetor Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of DelawareThis invention relates to devices for removing or skinning a section ofinsulation from a strand of insulated wire.

While machines have been devised for removing insulation from the end ofa piece of insulated wire, so far as applicant is aware, there has beenno machine for automaticall and rapidly cutting a section of insulationfrom an intermediate portion of the wire. Accordingly, it is the objectof the present invention to devise such a machine.

A more detailed object is to provide a fully automatic machine forcleanly skinning a section of insulated wire, whether at the end or anintermediate portion of the wire, without affecting the wire itself.

These objects and other more detailed objects hereafter appearing areattained substantially by the device illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine.

Fig. 2 Ban enlarged horizontal section through the head portion of themachine and is taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the head portion of the machine,partl broken-away and sectioned for clearer illustration.

Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the wire feedingmember fully advanced.

Fig. 5 shows a strand of insulated wire with sections of the insulationremoved by the machine.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. l.

The machine is mounted upon an upright l and bench H in a convenientposition for the operator. The head portion l2 comprises a base plate l3having a central longitudinal rib-like table 14 to the left handextremity of which are secured a pair of longitudinal knives l by meansof side plates I5, bolted to the table, as at H. Projecting from baseplate [3 adjacent the end of the table is a block l8 which adjustablymounts a cutter l9 having its under surface disposed parallel to thetable between knife blades [5 and spaced slightly thereabove. Thecutting edge of the knife extends transversely of the length of thetable. The upper surfaces of blade attaching plates l6 and the portionof table I4 between blades [5 are provided with serrations 20 for apurpose to be described hereafter.

Projecting above the right hand portion of the base plate I3 is athree-sided housing 2! within the interior of which is slidably receivedthe reciprocable feed member 22 having bifurcations 23 at its right handextremity connected by a pin 24. A lever 25, pivoted beneath bench ll,

Application September 10, 1943, Serial No. 501,901

7 8 Claims. 4 (Cl has a forked extremity 26 receiving pin 24. Theopposite extremit of lever 25 is connected by a link 21 to a treadle 28to be pressed by the operator for driving feed member 22 leftwardly. Apair ofpins 29 project oppositely from feed member 22 through slots 30in housing 2| for attachment of a pair of coiled retracting springs 3|connected at their opposite ends to pins 32 projectlng from the sides ofthe housing.

7 The left hand extremity of feed member 22 is bifurcated, as at 33, thebifurcations being spaced apart just sufficiently to pass on oppositesides of blades 15 and I9 when the feed member is reciprocated. Theundersurf-ace of this portion of the feed member is recessed, as at 34,to provide a feed surface spaced just sufliciently above the table tofrictionally receive a strand of insulated wire placed on the table, asat 35. This surface of the feed member is provided with wire grippingserrations 36. A compressed air line 31 is attached to the side of blockH3 in position to discharge its jet against transverse blade IS. A valve.38 has an actuator 39 which is engaged b the extremity of lever 25,when the cuts in the insulation are completed, to remove the cutsectionfrom the cutter blade.

The device operates as follows:

The section of insulated wire is first laid upon the table, adjacent theend of the feed member as indicated in Fig. 3. The treadle is thendepressed by the operator, which causes feed member 22 to moveleftwardly above the wire, whereupon the wire is gripped betweenserrations 20 and 36 and caused to roll along the table. The wire isfirst rolled over longitudinal cutter blades l5 which make spaced,circumferential cuts in the insulation. As jaws 33 of the feed memberpass transverse blade IS, a longitudinal cut is made in the insulation,between the circumferential cuts, and continued rolling causes the cutsection of insulation to be severed completely from the wire. Theoperator thereupon removes his foot from the treadle permittingretraction of the feed member by springs 3|, whereupon the wire can beeasily removed by hand because of its reduced thickness beneath cutter[9. Just as the feed member is starting to retract, a blast of airinsures removal of the cut insulation from blade I9 so that theoperation can be promptly repeated on the same or another piece of wire.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to thoseskilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as comewithin the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. A wire skinning device comprising a table,

a member mounted for reciprocation therealong, there being a spacebetween said table and member sufficient to frictionally receive astrand of wire, a pair of cutters havingcutting edges presented intosaid space, one arranged along the line of movement of said member andthe other .transver'selythereof, and means for moving said ;'nemberalong said bed to bring an insulated wire,

lodged in said space, against said cutters and;

thereby strip a section of insulation therefrom. 2. A wire skinningdevice comprising a table, a pair of cutters having cutting edgespresented at a right angle to each other along said table, a feed memberspaced from said table and 'and longitudinallythereof, a second knifewith its cutting edge presented transversely of the cutting edge'of saidfirst knife and spaced slightly thereabove,- a feed member mounted forlongitudinal movement along said table, there being a space between saidtable and said member for frictionally receiving a piece of insulatedwire, and means to move said member along said table to cause saidwireto successively contact said knives and thereby'strip a section ofinsulation therefrom.

4. A wire skinning device comprising a table, a knife with its cuttingedge presented longitudinally of and-outwardly from said table, a secondknife mounted with its cutting edge disposed transversely of said tableand spaced directly thereabove, a feed member mounted for movement alongsaid table and spaced thereabovesufficiently to frictionally receive astrand of insulated wire, and means to move said member along said tableso as to roll said wire first along said longitudinal knife, forcircumferentially cutting the insulation, and then against said secondknife for stripping the cut section of insulation from the wire.

5. A wire skinning device as described in claim 4 in which said tableand said movable member are provided with serrations for more positivelymoving the wire strand received in said space.

.6. A wire skinning device comprising a table, a, pair of parallelknives with their cutting edges presented outwardly of said table, athird knife mounted with its cutting edge disposed transversely betweensaid pair and slightly above said table, a feedmember mounted formovement alongsaid table, adjacent said knives, there being sufiicientspace between said table and said member for frictionally receiving astrand of insulated wire, and means to move said member so as to rollthe received strand along said par; allel knives to make spaced, radialcuts in the insulatiornand against said third knife to out theInsulation longitudinally and strip a section thereof from the wire.

7. A wire skinning device as described in claim 6 in which the extremityof said feed member is bifurcated for extending on the sides of saidtransverse knife to continue the rolling of the received strand past theedge thereof to cause said edge to strip ofi the cut section ofinsulation.

8. A wire skinning device comprising a table, a knife projecting fromsaid table, a second knife mounted with its cutting edge disposedtransversely of said first knife and slightly above said table, a feedmember mounted for reciprocation along said table and spaced slightlythereabove for frictionally receiving a strand of insulated wire betweenthe same and said table, means to move said member so as to roll thereceived strand along said first knife and against said second knife forstripping a section of insulation therefrom, and means to expose thestripped insulation to an air blast, when the cuts are completed, toremove the same from said second knife.

OLIVER H. HESSLER.

